Cane harvester



H. 0. SCRANTON.

CANE HARVESTER. APPLICATIloN HLEn AUG. 11. 1920.

`H. o. scRANoN.

CANE HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-.11| 1920.

1 ,406,093 Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. 0. SGRANTON.

CANE HARVESTER.

AFPLICATION FILED AUGE Il. 1920.

1,406,093, Patented Feb. 7, 1922E 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 5a /2 27 /y i f1 I /j' e; /av

A YTo attach/Omit may lconcer/a: f f

' Be it known, that I`,1HENRYLOLSoRaN'roN,

a citizen of `the United States, residing Yat PATENT oFFica.

*UNITED STATES HAnvEsrER.-

Jeanerette, inrthe parish of fvlberialaln'd State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful'ImprovementsinCane Harvesters, of Y which the lfollowingisa specification.

. ktween the guide bars.

This invention 'relatesjto machines for cutting down and handlinglsugar canes,- but whichfmay be usedforJo-ther similar crops; audit consists in the noveLconstructionand combination of theparts `hereinafter Jfully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside View 'of the front end portion of afcane harvester constructed according to Ythis invention. Fig-2 isla plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a rear end-view of-portions ofthe cutting mechanism, drawn toa. larger scale.- Fig. 4 isl a cross-'section takenon thelinel4j4 in Fig 3. Various parts are omitted in each ligure, lfor clearness.

The machine 1s mounted on a truck Got any approved construction, `Yand preferably a truck provided with self-propelling mechanism. The front ground wheels 7 are the steering wheels, vand are operated from the `rear portion of the truck where the mo tor and driving mechanism are located. Two verticalguide bars S are preferably arranged parallel to each other at the 'front' part ofthe truck, and are secured to one side portion ofthetruck frame by brackets 9 and braces 10. l

A crosshead 12 is arranged to slide vertically on the guide b-ars 8, and its position is adjusted by means of a screw 14 which engages with a hole in its middle part be# A cutter blade or saw 15 is supported by the crosshead and is secured to a cutter bar 25, and projects `across the center' line of draft of the ma.-

chine, so that it may engage with the sugar canes. which are indicated by the circles 16 in Fig. 2.

A plate 17 is secured to the crosshead above the 'sa-w, and is rranged tothe rear of its cutting edge, and `operates vto support the lower ends of the out canes. This plate has a downwardly inclined front end portion 18. The cutting blade lis preferably serrated or provided with saw teeth, to enable it to cut thecanes with facility; The screw 14 is journaled in a. bracket 19 secured to thetruck frame, and is operated by 'any approved means. A worm wheel 20 is Y Specification of Ietterslfatent, ,Patented 1331),#,1922

Application 'lled Augustin, 1920. 4Serial No. 402,855.

' secured to theupperfendiv of thesciew, in .the `examplefshown,`and f1s driven by a'wor'my 21, secured on a worm shaft 22,journaled in bearings' 23l on the truck, 'and' provided with a; handwheel 24.' j

vThe lsaw issupported in the crossheadby a dovetailed bar 26 which -is securedv to the saw over the .cutter bar y25, :andwhich slides in a dovetailed guide slot..27';foi'1ned inthe undeiside of the cro'ssheaid. rlhe saw is reciprocated rapidly, as' the machineis moved along, by means off a connectinglrod 28 and (a crank- 29. IThev crank is -formed on Y a crankshaft 30, vjournaled "in bearings 31 secured to Vthetruck frame, and provided with a 'sprocket wheel 32. 'The "sprocket wheel 32 is 4driven by a drive-chain 33'froni a s1'nocketwheel 84 secured on a' driving 'shaft 35 which is 'operatively ,connected with the motor. 5 l

vLower guide bars k'36 and upper guide i bars A'37 are supportedfrom the t`ruck,"an' .i.

are arranged'to project'forwardly of it .and tov 'straddlejthe canes in "front of the saw.

*The rear end portions of these guide bars are substantially,parallel to each other, and their front end portions project outwardly. The front end portionsof the upper guide bars 37 alsoproject downwardly.

The saw is adjusted to out the canes closev kalcove the ground, and the ground wheels run in two'furrows, the canes being arranged to grow in; a ro'w on a moundbetween the fui-rows. The upper guide bars 37 areA se- Ycured to brackets v38 secured to the truck frame, 'and vertical spider. shafts 39 are journaled in bearings 40l on these brackets,

and in bearings 41 on the truck frame; Spider wheels 42 are secured to the upper end portions of the Spidershafts, and their arms engage with the canes as soon as they are cut off, and tilt them rearwardly against a cane rest or rack 43 as shown in Fig. 1. The lower ends of the canes slide up the inclined part 18 onto the plate 17. l

.Y The spider wheels are revolved in opposite directions by any approved driving mechanism, and in the example shown worm wheels 44 are secured on the lower endportions of the spider shafts. Worms 45 engage with the worm wheels, and are secured on fcountershafts 46 journaled in bearings 47l Y shaft and sprocket wheels 50 secured ont-lie countershafts. t I Y Platforms 51 for two operators are preferablyarranged one on each side of the truck frame, and a table 52 is secured to lthe truck between the platforms. The ycane rest or rack 43 is secured to the upper part of:` this table, and it is curved or otherwise shaped so as to guide the upper end portion of each cane towards the centerA line of draft of the machine midwayl between the twol platforms. g 1 t The table is provided with topping ineclianisms for cutting oifthe tops of the canes,

and the operators grasp the canes which rest against the, rack. 43 one after another `and feed them to the two topping mechanisms.

. Thesetopping mechanisms are preferably those shown in the patent issued to nie on Junel., 1920, No. 1,343,589.

4What I*v claim is:

. 1. In a harvester, a truck, a saw. guide supported by the truck, a reciprocating saw slidable in the said Vguide and projecting crosswise of the center line of draft, guides for the standing plants projecting from the truck on each side `of the center line vof v draft, Valstationary support for the lower ends fof the cut plants arranged adjacent to the saw, and a rest for the4 upper end portions ofthe .cut plants supported by the truck and arranged on the center line of f A draft above andy to the rear of the said saw.

larranged to project oi'osswise of the 2. In a harvester, a truck, two vertical guide bars secured to one side portion of the vertically adjustable c rosshead mounted on the said guide bars vand having a saw Vguide larranged in front and crosswise Vof the said guide bars, and a reciprocatingV saw'guided by the said guide and projecting crosswisev of the center line of draft of the truck.

i truck and arranged side 'by side laterally, a

3. In a harvester,a truck, two vertical `v guide bars secured vto onefsidey portion ofthetruck and arrangedside by side-laterally, a vertically adjustableV crossliead. mounted onthe-said guide bars and having adovef e tailed saw guide in itsl underside arranged in front and crosswise Vof the said yguide bars, and a reciprocating sawV having a dove-y tailed bar secured to its upperjpart' and slidable in the said saw guide, said sawA being Y signature. v

HENRY O. SCRANTON. t

center i 

